Can fat-derived stem cells rebuild bone and muscle?

Today, soldiers routinely survive massive wounds that once would have been fatal. But they’re often left with body parts that cannot function. Elizabeth Loboa is determined to use tissue engineering to restore function to limbs disabled by complex, gaping wounds. Her lab has been able to coax adult fat-derived stem cells to create bone and cartilage; she also works on fibers that can deliver drugs to promote healing, control pain and infection, and even release chemical factors that direct stem cells to create appropriate tissues to repair a wound or d eformity. The goal of the work is to use a patient’s own stem cells to create large amounts of functional tissue with the mechanical properties needed to do the work the individual needs.